Spencer Ellingson / Winonan

The Winona State University football team did not just win their first game on Thursday; They walked away with a 68-0 shutout against University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles.

“A win like that is a great way to start the year,” running back Paul Preston said, who finished with 123 yards rushing. “We played as a team and didn’t let up throughout the game, which is what we will need to do going forward.”

The Warriors started off slow after dropping the opening kickoff and missing the extra point after the first touchdown.

“In the first game of the year things like this will happen with first-game jitters,” Preston said. “There are always things to improve on and we will continue to look at the film and find areas to improve every week.”

By the time the third quarter started, the score was 42-0 and most of the Warriors’ starters were sitting on the bench to save energy and give the backups a chance to play.

The Warriors were led offensively by senior quarterback Jack Nelson who threw for 209 yards on 12 completed passes and three touchdowns.

The leading rusher was Preston, who averaged 9.5 yards a carry and found himself in the end zone twice.

Senior wide out Cameron Johnson caught the ball six times, racking up 153 yards with two touchdowns one of those going for 52 yards.

“It felt really good to get out there and dominate like we did,” Johnson said. “I never thought we would go out and beat them like we did but it definitely brings confidence to myself and the team.”

The Warrior defense kept the Eagles less than 100 total yards and forced them to punt nine times.

“We stopped them every time we needed to stop them,” junior linebacker Aikan Major said. “We played as a team and I’m confident that we can beat anyone if we continue to play like that.”

Major led the team with five solo tackles including one that went for a loss.

Senior linebacker Austin Opfer had two of the team’s four sacks.

The Warriors took off Sunday before getting back to a long week of practice with a tough opponent next Saturday.

Winona State will head to the James S. Malosky Stadium in Duluth to take on the University of Minnesota, Duluth Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs have finished first in the NSIC north for eight consecutive seasons.

“We prepare for every team and game with the same attitude and that is that every team is the best in the nation,” Paul Preston said. “We know if we do things right and play as a team without making many mistakes, we can compete with anyone in the country.”

The Warriors’ next home game will be the week after the Duluth match, against the Northern State University Wolves.